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Monday, January 16, 2012

Group wants owed funds waived in exchange for demolition

SALISBURY -- A local neighborhood association will ask the City Council to waive fees, citations and taxes on a derelict property under consideration for demolition.
A house at 501-503 Poplar Hill Avenue in the Newtown neighborhood has been vacant for several years. According to the Newtown Association, a 2009 fire caused interior and exterior damage, leaving the structure open to the elements. In addition to holes in the roof and fire damage, the foundation is shifting and there are lead paint and mold issues.
In an Oct. 13 letter to City Administrator John Pick, property owner John Phillips said the 1890s Victorian home was illegally divided into five one-bedroom apartments more than 50 years ago, and the city now mandates the structure be converted back to a single-family home. The Newtown Association estimates the cost of conversion to be about $150,000 and in today's real estate market, the renovated home would only be worth $80,000-$100,000.
"Not having the financial ability to meet these requirements by the city, I tried to sell the property to no avail, then let it go to tax sale. The purchaser has declined to follow through with the purchase, but will release it to anyone upon return of his deposit," Phillips wrote. "So, having no other options, I put it up for auction ... at a $10,000 minimum final sale and had no bidders."
Phillips is willing to donate the property to the Newtown Association, which wants to see the home demolished and the area converted to green space. The association has received approval from the city's Historic District Commission to demolish the structure.
"At this point, if I'm unable to donate the property, I will have no choice but to abandon it, which I so hope will not be necessary," he said.
Demolition costs are estimated at about $29,000, and according to Wirt Wolfe of the Newtown Association, about $20,000 has been pledged in donations. The association will need additional funds for some minimal landscaping and liability insurance, which is estimated at $300 per year. As of September, Phillips owed the city $4,622.31 in fees, citations and taxes, and at Tuesday's meeting, the Newtown Association will ask for a waiver in exchange for demolition.
"In all honesty, we feel like we're doing the city's job for them," Wolfe said. "Some people in Newtown don't like that we're raising money to take care of something the city should be doing; but we don't want to see the property continue to sit there and blight the neighborhood."
The association will also approach the County Council to obtain forgiveness for $558.36 in taxes.
According to Neill Carey, also of the Newtown Association, the membership voted at its last meeting to take no action on demolition until May. The membership also authorized a resident to "pursue advertising the property on media sites such as historic preservation websites to see if a suitable buyer can be found to purchase and renovate the house," he said

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